New finds THINK GLOBAL ACT LOCAL

Several new connections for me , my work and others who are on a similar path !
On the eco front two interesting films my son gave me at on permaculture one about Robert Hart who created a "forest garden " at Wenlock Edge shropshire .A way of gardening where the planting creates a garden that self sustains and provides a wide range of foods .There are analogies here for us humans !
seven stories (storeys) of forest
1 Tall light demanding trees
2 Short shade tolerant trees
3 shrub level
4 herbaceous
5 horizontal spread
6 root area -tubors
7 vertical climbers and creepers
I think I am probably herbaceous !
A tributeto Robert Hart.
The idea being that the plants stimulate each others growth and ward off diseases.
A related article in Issue 22 Selvege makes reference to Sasha Duerr who set up the Permacouture Institute in San Francisco "promoting ecoliteracy from soil to studio. "

Also the latest edition of selvedgeIssue 22
is to be recommeded with a very well written article on the history of wallpaper "Peel back"
Info on an exhibition at the Whitworth Artgallery in Manchester "Flights of fancy - select decorative themes of the 1920s and 30s"wallpapers and borders.
and
Rob Ryan whom Lizzie recommended and then just happens to have his work on the cover of the same magazine . He does the most exquisite , sensitive paper cuts and screen prints but also has a very interesting blog and an equally fascinating website

Also on page 87 the advert for "Mechanical drawing " has an image of my work . My ambition to have work in Selvedge has been realised!

Jon Ardern's website

My son jon's website

Winter window pieces

The above images show the culmination of several weeks work on experimenting with different ways of creating window pieces for potential limited edition ranges foe interiors based on tree outlines for a winter range.The first piece is digital print on cotton with added Irish embroidery (see small image for detai) and cutwork edges .
The second a manual print on pre dyed linen with a devore insert of ferns and the third a combination of manual print on linen overlaid with a digital print on silk organdie . For me the most effective piece and the one incidentally that is the easiest to produce is the first digital print , it works well on both sides and so can be viewed from outside as well as in side the building , being printed on cotton it is more substantial and yet is still semi transparent .

Lecture on colour trend forecasting

Notes on a very interesting and informative talk by Justin Fox (colour guru) from MIX Magazine which predicts colour trends in anything from paints to plastic washing up bowls! at the Chelsea Design Centre as part of the programme for Design Week.For more information google Global Colour Research. She talked about colour trends for Spring /Summer 2009 and also talked a little about colour psychology. She sees colour as a sensation rather than a physical event and beleives that the electromagnetic spectrum affects us on three levels 1 the physical 2 the subconscious and 3 the conscious / symbolism .

Postcard 14

Marrimekko

I have just rediscovered Marrimekko which was launched in 1951 , always ahead of its time and with an impressive array of designers the current Spring 2008 range of fabric designs show all the freshness and originality that are the key to the company's success.
Most of the designs are used across many products eg. bed-linen, furnishing fabric, book covers and mouse mats as well as ceramics. I have been considering trying out my winter tree designs on other products hence the interest in designers who do just that . A bit of a shock though to find a very similar design already in production on their bedlinen! Below are some descriptions of the new ranges to see the wonderful fabrics and related products go to
http://www.marimekko.com



Erja Hirvi

Erja Hirvi's new nature-themed designs feature exotic fruit and spectacular flowers, and evoke nostalgic memories of hay fields and hot summers. The colours of the fabrics range from dazzlingly bright yellow, orange and pink hues to a cool turquoise, a subtle grey, a fresh green and exciting shades of deep red and aubergine.
(Erjas work I particularly like probably because the designs are nature based . the images simple and bold with well thought out colourways. I saw the magnolia fabric in an interiors shop in Greenwich Village in New York .)

Fujiwo Ishimoto

Fujiwo Ishimoto finds his main source of inspiration in nature and its aspects in different seasons. The influence of nature can be clearly sensed in almost all the prints designed by him, either naturalistic, such as Villi ja vapaa, or abstract, such as the line composition Lepo, which resembles a pastel drawing.

Maija Isola

This spring will see the flowers in Maija Isola's best-known design, Unikko, bloom in trendy purple tones. New colourways have also been created for the popular Ruusupuu pattern from 1957.

As we are going to London to Design week at Chelsea Harbour I hope to visit the Marimekko concept store .
LONDON March 8th
A visit to the Marimeko flagship store is on St Christopher Place W1 just off Oxford Street a narrow street full of small but interesting fashion and furnishing/interiors shops and cafes. The store itself is much smaller than I expected but has a wide range of furnishing fabrics, homewares and clothes and very helpful staff. The most interesting thing for me was too see the scale of the designs which you dont see online . Note in the photographs the hand and ruler which help to show the scale . Often the same design is used on a large scale for a stretched canvas piece and then as a smaller scale on a furnishing fabric. A very inspiring experience.



















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